• Online Scheduling | Careers

Northwest Health (AR)
  • Quick Links
    • Find a Doctor
    • Services
      • Services

        • View All Services
        • Bariatric Weight Loss Services
        • Behavioral Health
        • Breast Care
        • Cancer Care
        • Diabetes Care
        • Diagnostic Imaging
        • Digestive Health
        • Ear, Nose & Throat Care
        • Emergency Services
        • Eye Care
        • Family Medicine
        • Geriatric Services
        • Gynecology
        • Heart Care
        • Infectious Disease Care
        • Laboratory Services
        • Maternity Care
        • Neurology
        • Neonatal Intensive Care
        • Orthopedic Services
        • Pain Management
        • Pharmacy
        • Podiatry
        • Pulmonology Care
        • Rehabilitation & Physical Therapy
        • Robotic Surgery
        • Sleep Medicine
        • Sports Medicine
        • Stroke Care
        • Surgical Services
        • Urgent Care
        • Urology
        • Vascular Center
        • Women's Health
        • Wound Care
          • Patients & Visitors
            • For Patients

              • Patients & Visitors
              • DAISY Award Nominations
              • Events
              • Financial Information
              • Health Library
              • MDSave
              • Online Scheduling
              • Patient Guide
              • Patient Portal
              • Pre-surgical Information
              • Request Medical Records
              • Spiritual Care
                • Careers
                • Locations
                  • Hospitals
                  • Northwest Physicians Group
                  • Emergency Departments
                  • Urgent Care
                  • Other Locations
                • About
                  • About

                    • About Us
                    • Board of Trustees
                    • Careers
                    • Community Benefits
                    • Community Outreach
                    • Community Quality Alliance
                    • Contact Us
                    • Leadership
                    • Live Healthy Newsletter
                    • Newsroom
                    • Patient Testimonials
                    • Quality & Safety
                    • Speaker Requests
                    • Volunteer Opportunities
                      • Online Bill Pay
                      • Patient Portal
                      • Online Class Registration
                      • Contact
                      • Online Scheduling
                      • analog clock icon
                      • Avg ER Wait:
                        14 Min

                        About ER Wait Times
                      Home/About Us/Newsroom/Back-to-school Checkups Are the Cornerstone of a Healthy School Year

                      Refine Results

                      Affiliated Hospitals







                      About Us
                      Board of Trustees
                      Careers
                      Community Benefits
                      Community Outreach
                      Community Quality Alliance
                      Meet the Leaders
                      Contact Us
                      Leadership
                      Live Healthy Newsletter
                      Newsroom
                      E-Newsletter Sign Up
                      News Media
                      2024 News Releases
                      2023 News Releases
                      2022 News Releases
                      2021 News Releases
                      2020 News Releases
                      2019 News Releases
                      2018 News Releases
                      2017 News Releases
                      2016 News Releases
                      2015 News Releases
                      Patient Testimonials
                      Quality & Safety
                      ADA Accessibility Policy
                      Diversity Policy
                      Joint Commission Notice
                      Notice of Privacy Practices
                      Organized Health Care Arrangement Status
                      Patient Rights & Responsibilities
                      Privacy Policy
                      Safety Improvement
                      Terms & Conditions
                      Speaker Requests
                      Volunteer Opportunities
                      eNewsletter Redirect
                      Events
                      Events
                      Find a Doctor
                      Locations
                      Notice of Non-Discrimination
                      Patients & Visitors
                      Services
                      • information
                      • news
                      • Directions

                        Find Our Location
                      • Juli McWhorter named Chief Executive Officer at Northwest Medical Center – Bentonville

                        07.09.2025

                      • Dr. Ron Schechter joins Northwest Orthopedics – Bentonville

                        07.07.2025

                      • See All News & Press Releases
                      • Sign Up For Our E-Newsletter

                        Sign Up For Our E-Newsletter

                        Featuring a monthly dose of information and inspiration for living well.

                        Learn More
                      • Mobile Device

                        Online Scheduling

                        Free, convenient online check-in services.

                        Learn More
                      • Nurse and Patient

                        Patient Portal

                        Access your medical information
                        on demand.

                        Learn More

                      Back-to-school Checkups Are the Cornerstone of a Healthy School Year

                      8/10/2021

                      (SPRINGDALE, Ark.) – With homeschooling and hybrid learning disrupting classroom learning for the past 18 months, it’s easy to forget what preparing for a “normal” school year might look like. In addition to buying new clothes and stocking your child’s backpack with the right supplies, an annual physical and the proper immunizations will start your child’s new school year on a healthy foundation.

                      “A yearly check-up helps physicians get to know the unique medical history of your child and allows us to monitor their development from year to year,” said Cesar Hurtado, M.D., of Northwest Medical Plaza – Eastside. “By having your child’s health history and this baseline information, it can help us identify potential concerns easier.”

                      Children should receive an annual checkup with their physician even if they are healthy. At a checkup, your child will receive a full physical exam including measurements such as height and weight. This is a good time for parents to discuss any developmental, emotional or social concerns with the physician. Most insurance plans, including Medicaid, cover a free annual well-child visit.

                      Immunizations are another important way to protect your child’s health. While COVID vaccinations are not yet available for children younger than 12, there are numerous other vaccines parents should discuss with their child’s physician, especially for children beginning school for the first time.

                      Receiving the right shots at the right time will help protect your child from contracting various diseases and help prevent the spread to others. Talk with your physician to learn what vaccinations your child should receive and at what age.

                      “Part of getting ready to go back to school is ensuring your child is up to date on their immunizations or vaccines,” Dr. Hurtado said. “It’s important that children receive these boosters at the right time because these shots will protect your child as they continue to grow.”

                      If you child or teenager is involved in sports or other physical activities, their coaches may require a sports physical before they begin to play. A sports exam is similar to an annual physical exam, with the addition of the physician’s review of sports-related matters such as nutrition and injuries. A primary care physician such as a family practice doctor or a pediatrician will be able to conduct a sports physical for your child.

                      If you need help finding a primary care physician, call (833) 757-WELL (9355) or visit NW-Physicians.com to find a provider near you.

                      Immunization Guidelines

                      School requirements for immunizations may differ by school district, so check with your local school district about needed vaccines for school admission.

                      Guidelines for well-child visits and routine immunization schedules can be found on the American Academy of Pediatrics website at aap.org.

                      Vaccines: A Guide for Parents

                      Vaccine protection far outweighs the small risk of serious side effects. Thanks to vaccines, many serious childhood diseases are rare today. Without vaccines, diseases can return and impact large numbers of the population. Visit https://bit.ly/3rXQ905 for a “Birth through Age 18 Immunization Schedule” as recommended by the American Academy of Family Physicians.

                      COVID-19 Vaccination
                      The CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) recommends use of COVID-19 vaccines for everyone ages 12 and older within the scope of the Emergency Use Authorization for the particular vaccine. COVID-19 vaccine and other vaccines may be administered on the same day.

                      Flu vaccine
                      The flu vaccine is offered in a shot or nasal spray form. The shot contains dead viruses and the nasal-spray vaccine contains live but weakened viruses. Because flu viruses change each year, it is important to get the vaccine every year.

                      DTaP vaccine
                      DTaP protects against diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis. Diphtheria is a disease that attacks the throat and heart, and can lead to heart failure and death. Tetanus (also called “lockjaw”) can lead to severe muscle spasms and death. Pertussis (also called “whooping cough”) can cause severe coughing that makes it hard to breathe, eat or drink. It can lead to pneumonia, convulsions, brain damage and death.

                      Td vaccine.
                      The Td vaccine is used as a booster to the DTaP vaccine, to help prevent tetanus and diphtheria, given at age 11 or older and every 10 years throughout life.

                      IPV (Polio) vaccine
                      The IPV (inactivated poliovirus) vaccine helps prevent polio. Polio can cause muscle pain and paralysis in the legs or arms, as well as those muscles used to breathe and swallow, and can lead to death.

                      Rotavirus vaccine
                      The Rotavirus vaccine protects against the rotavirus which causes diarrhea, mostly in babies and young children. The diarrhea can be severe and cause dehydration. Rotavirus can also cause vomiting and fever in babies. Children receive a dose at 2 and 4 months of age, or three doses series at 2, 4, and 6 months of age. It depends on what your doctor recommends. All doses should be given before 8 months of age.

                      MMR vaccine
                      The MMR vaccine protects against measles, mumps and rubella. Measles causes fever, rash, cough, runny nose and watery eyes; as well as ear infections and pneumonia. Measles can also lead to brain swelling and even death. Mumps causes fever, headache and painful swelling of one or both of the major saliva glands. It can lead to meningitis (infection of the coverings of the brain and spinal cord). Rubella is also called the German measles. It causes slight fever, a rash and swelling of the glands in the neck. Rubella can also cause brain swelling or a problem with bleeding.

                      Hib vaccine
                      The Hib vaccine helps prevent Haemophilus influenza type b, a serious illness in children that can lead to meningitis, pneumonia and a severe throat infection that can cause choking.

                      Varicella (chickenpox) vaccine
                      The varicella vaccine helps prevent chickenpox. It is given to children once after they are 12 months old or to older children if they have never had chickenpox or been vaccinated.

                      HBV vaccine
                      The HBV vaccine helps prevent hepatitis B virus (HBV), an infection of the liver that can lead to liver cancer and death.

                      HPV vaccine
                      The HPV vaccine helps prevent human papillomavirus infection, which can cause cervical cancer as well as genital warts. It is given as a 2- shot series if given around the age of 11 or 12 years of age. The second dose is given 6 months later. Children who start the vaccine on or after their 15th birthday need three shots given over 6 months.

                      Pneumococcal vaccine
                      The pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV) protects against a common bacteria linked to ear infections as well as more serious illnesses, such as meningitis and bacteremia (infection in the blood stream).

                      Meningococcal vaccine
                      The meningococcal conjugate vaccine (MCV4) protects against bacterial meningitis, an infection of the fluid around the brain and spinal cord. It is a serious illness that can cause high fever, headache, stiff neck and confusion, as well as more serious complications like brain damage, hearing loss or blindness.

                      Back

                      Affiliated Hospitals

                      • Northwest Health Physicians' Specialty Hospital
                      • Northwest Medical Center - Bentonville
                      • Northwest Medical Center - Springdale
                      • Siloam Springs Regional Hospital
                      • Willow Creek Women's Hospital
                      • ADA Accessibility Policy
                      • Terms & Conditions
                      • Privacy Policy
                      • Change Your Privacy Choices
                      • Notice of Privacy Practices
                      • Patient Rights & Responsibilities
                      • Price Transparency

                      Copyright ©2025. All rights reserved.

                      An AllianceHealth Oklahoma® hospital

                      Services

                      • Bariatric Weight Loss Services
                      • Behavioral Health
                      • Breast Care
                      • Cancer Care
                      • Diabetes Care
                      • Diagnostic Imaging
                      • Digestive Health
                      • Ear, Nose & Throat Care
                      • Emergency Services
                      • Eye Care
                      • Family Medicine
                      • Geriatric Services
                      • Gynecology
                      • Heart Care
                      • Infectious Disease Care
                      • Laboratory Services
                      • Maternity Care
                      • Neurology
                      • Neonatal Intensive Care
                      • Orthopedic Services
                      • Pain Management
                      • Pharmacy
                      • Podiatry
                      • Pulmonology Care
                      • Rehabilitation & Physical Therapy
                      • Robotic Surgery
                      • Sleep Medicine
                      • Sports Medicine
                      • Stroke Care
                      • Surgical Services
                      • Urgent Care
                      • Urology
                      • Vascular Center
                      • Women's Health
                      • Wound Care

                      Patients & Visitors

                      • DAISY Award Nominations
                      • Events
                      • Financial Information
                      • Health Library
                      • MDSave
                      • Online Scheduling
                      • Patient Guide
                      • Patient Portal
                      • Pre-surgical Information
                      • Request Medical Records
                      • Spiritual Care

                      About Us

                      • Board of Trustees
                      • Careers
                      • Community Benefits
                      • Community Outreach
                      • Community Quality Alliance
                      • Contact Us
                      • Leadership
                      • Live Healthy Newsletter
                      • Newsroom
                      • Patient Testimonials
                      • Quality & Safety
                      • Speaker Requests
                      • Volunteer Opportunities

                      Notice of Nondiscrimination
                      • English,
                      • አማርኛ,
                      • العربية,
                      • বাংলা,
                      • ျမန္မာဘာသာ,
                      • tsalagi gawonihisdi,
                      • 繁體中文,
                      • Chahta,
                      • Oroomiffa,
                      • Nederlands,
                      • Français,
                      • Kreyòl Ayisyen,
                      • Deutsch,
                      • ગુજરાતી,
                      • हिंदी,
                      • Hmoob,
                      • Igbo asusu,
                      • Ilokano,
                      • Italiano,
                      • 日本語,
                      • 한국어,
                      • Ɓàsɔ́ɔ̀‑wùɖù‑po‑nyɔ̀,
                      • ພາສາລາວ,
                      • Kajin Ṃajōḷ,
                      • ខ្មែរ,
                      • Diné Bizaad,
                      • नेपाली,
                      • Deitsch,
                      • فارسی,
                      • Polski,
                      • Português,
                      • ਪੰਜਾਬੀ,
                      • Română,
                      • Русский,
                      • Gagana fa'a Sāmoa,
                      • Srpsko‑hrvatski,
                      • Español,
                      • ܣܘܼܪܸܬ݂,
                      • Tagalog,
                      • ภาษาไทย,
                      • Türkçe,
                      • Українська,
                      • اُردُو,
                      • Tiếng Việt,
                      • èdè Yorùbá,
                      • עִברִית
                      Loading... Loading...